So, how many different organizations have you had?

[jime444]

Or, companies have you worked for?


Qualifiers, if I may:
1. need to be compensated for the work
2. after schooling
3. acquisitions count
4. large companies, divisional changes, new jobs count




Me, I'm working on my 16th in 32 years. Talk about a rolling stone.........

 

[Alan]

Only 4 companies for me after I graduated at age 22. DW worked for 7 but the last 3 were acquisitions.

 

[Meadbh]

Including consulting, 9 umbrella organizations. Plus my own company, makes 10. Too many "divisional changes" to count.

 

[harley]

If you are talking real jobs, I worked for 2 companies. But the second one merged and changed names 5 times, so the total by your definition would be 6 in 27 years.


Edit: I missed the part about major divisional changes within the same company. I would update my number to 11 jobs in 6 companies by that definition, as I worked my way from mainframe to Unix to Security and finally the video lab.

 

[2017ish]

Three.

8 years, 16 years (1/2 time), 6 years and counting.

 

[Senator]

In my ~27 years, I have worked at seven companies. And I have had a few of my own companies started.

That only counts in my professional life. Prior to graduating with my professional degree, I was in the USAF and worked for quite a few companies to pay for college or make extra money.

 

[REWahoo]

Borrowing harley's format: I worked for 4 companies (one for only two days), doing 9 separate and distinct jobs. But the fourth one went through four acquisitions, one merger, and changed names 2 times during the 27 years I worked there. The total by your definition would be...confusing .

 

[Alan]

If you are talking real jobs, I worked for 2 companies. But the second one merged and changed names 5 times, so the total by your definition would be 6 in 27 years.


Edit: I missed the part about major divisional changes within the same company. I would update my number to 11 jobs in 6 companies by that definition, as I worked my way from mainframe to Unix to Security and finally the video lab.

Doh!! I also missed the bit about divisional changes so that would increase my number to 9.

 

[RockyMtn]

Actually only had two hire dates that followed me through thirty years. With acquisitions those two companies were owned by 8 different entities. 16 different titles over 30 years. So 24 total. This does not count board seats I held for various entities that my employer owned portions of.

My favorite..."Consultant" where I get paid not to compete with former company. Funniest thing....I have held that title longer than any other I had when I was actually working!

 

[Bestwifeever]

Four for me, three for DH.

DD (35) has one, DS (33) has four.

 

[Midpack]

Sorry to be a dimwit, but depending on interpretation my answer is 1, 2, 4 or 9.

Barring an (unlikely) encore career, I worked for 2 corporations, but just 1 by my own definition. Worked for a Fortune 500 company for 17 years, until they joint ventured and later sold off our division to a mid-sized privately held company where I worked for another 17.5 years. Relocated to 4 states, promoted 9 times (very fortunate).

 

[Texconsin]

Baker's dozen!

Edited - NOT baker's dozen - repeat companies.

1. Holdover college printing job with architect/developer after graduation.
2. Unqualified Controller for sub sandwich chain.
3. Security guard.
4. Fledgling accountant with tiny CPA firm.
5. Barely-qualified Controller for profanely abusive boss with woodworking company.
4. CPA with same tiny CPA firm during tax season.
6. Senior CPA with regional accounting firm.
7. Started own CPA firm.
1. Great Controller with same architect/developer and now property management company.
8. Accounting software consultant with bigger regional CPA firm.
9. Fantastic Controller (and "Number 1" like Jonathan Frakes) with smaller developer/property management company (left after "Captain Picard" tried to kill himself).
7. Offered Controller of construction company and Partner in CPA firm (now wealthy with either), but started own CPA firm, specializing in property management accounting software (got lazy instead of wealthy).
10. IT VP with property management REIT.

"Only" 10. Job-hopper!

No mas; no mas.

 

[brett]

Five after graduation.

The first three for about 2 years each. The fourth for 6 years. The fifth for 25 years....and it was actually 5, 6, and 7 because of two mergers/acquisitions.

 

[Texconsin]

Do (some) Board members scratch each others' backs?

This does not count board seats I held for various entities that my employer owned portions of.

"Company #3" CEO gets on "Board #1" and approves a pay raise for the CEO of "Company #1." The "Company #1" CEO sits on "Board #2" and approves a pay raise for the CEO at "Company #2." That "Company #2" CEO sits on "Board #3" and guess who gets a raise at "Company #3?"

Fact or fiction? Baseless innuendo or common practice?

 

[MichaelB]

This is a fun topic, let's keep it on track...

 

[Ronstar]

2 companies. First one for 7 years. Second one 33 years.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[arky]

After college, only three really distinct jobs. First was ~9 years, second was ~1.5 years and the last was a hair over 25. The first and third jobs each experienced a merger while i was there, so technically five.

 

[Taxman59]

1) Big 8 CPA firm 3 years
2) national CPA firm 6 years
3) local CPA firm 2 1/2 years
4) private family office 23 1/2 years in July when I retire.



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[6miths]

After schooling, 3 although I am on my second go with the one I started with after leaving 15 years earlier so maybe 4. Add 3 more if you include residency and fellowship training.

 

[rodi]

Since college:
Company A - laid off after 3 years.
Company B - left fleeing after 3 years of horrid management
Company C - left after they laid off all my friends and coworkers and I lost faith in management.
Company D - left after 3 months - learned a valuable lesson to not jump from fire to frying pan.
Company E - Left after 18 months
Company C* - had recently split into 3 companies and changed names. But returned to same group I left.
Company C** - 4 months. In the split up they took a dud name - and changed the name back back to the original name. Only change for me was payroll.
Company C*** - 3 years this fortune 500 company was bought by a fortune 100 company.
Company C**** - 9 years - company split in two.
Company C***** - 2 years - we were sold to a company with a great rep as an employer - but we were held as a "wholly owned subsidiary"... so we received none of the famous perks.
Company C****** - my division of the wholly owned subsidiary was sold to a company 1/4 of our size.

So company C was a roller coaster. 7 corporate names... 20 years of tenure with them though.

My tally would be 5 companies -with the last one for 20 years. With all the corporate mergers/acquisitions/spin offs/divestitures.... It's 12 companies.

One job change in there that doesn't fit your definition - I moved from the east coast to the west coast - same company, but different group. Definitely had to interview and prove myself like I was starting a new job... but kept the tenure/vesting/knowledge of product that I already had.

 

[bingybear]

in 28 years since grad school.... only 9. 5 were really the same job... but had spin offs and acquisitions

 

[Helen]

Post college would be 4 companies.

- Small family owned software company for 1.5 years
- Large hospital in Boston for 2 years
- Large computer company for 6 years
- Federal government for 20 years

 

[Car-Guy]

After school. That would be 5 however, I tend to forget about the first 3 since they only lasted a total of about 18 mos. The final two lasted for ~40 years.

 

[RockyMtn]

"Company #3" CEO gets on "Board #1" and approves a pay raise for the CEO of "Company #1." The "Company #1" CEO sits on "Board #2" and approves a pay raise for the CEO at "Company #2." That "Company #2" CEO sits on "Board #3" and guess who gets a raise at "Company #3?"

Fact or fiction? Baseless innuendo or common practice?

I could see that potentially happen but none of the boards that I was ever on had CEO's that were on our board. The boards that I served on also were not public companies, just partnerships. Additionally, compensation for public companies are usually set by a compensation committee so 1 individual bod member would not necessarily be able to grant a CEO a raise although they could certainly vote for it.

 

[jjquantz]

OK, after college graduation

1) One oil company
A four year pause for grad school
2, 3, 4)Three different school districts
5) Fellowship with Federal Government
6) Contractor with Federal Gov't which was
7) bought by a second, somewhat larger company, which was, in turn,
8) bought by a mammoth company.
9) Small non-profit.

Looks like 9 to me because everyone had a different HR system to work with.